Wheel structure



Dec.2, 1941. G L ON 2,264,946-

WHEEL STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 5, 1940 Gis-oeos flLB-EeT Li o/v.

Patented Dec. 2, 1941 I WHEEL smuoronn v 1 Georgcnlbert Lyon, Allenhurst, J,- =;,-Application February 5, 1940, Serial No. 317,240 j Y 3 ol inaf (01. 301-37) This-invention, relates to a'wheel structure, as

well as amethod of making multiple nested mem-l articularly adapted to serve' as ornamental membersjfor wheels. v

An obj'ectofothisfinvention isto provide an improved andfsimplified ornamental covering as. sembly for the outerside of a wheel and 'which assembly includes a multiple of parts-so formed as tobereadiIy interfitted witheach other, as

embodying the features of this invention and we'll'as' toibe retained 'onthe Wheel.

Another object of this inventionis to provide anovelmetho'd ofjmaking'multiple nested mem-; bers wherein the members may be economically manufacturedfro n'a common blank andwherein the act ofsevering the members from each Other objects and turning of th e edges which are to be formed into rollededge's, one edge beingturned in one direction and th'e jother edge opposite-direction.

being turned in the g features of this invention will more'fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a single embodiment thereofland in which:

other lends itself to the formation "of thesevered=- portions into turned edges adapted. to telescopically vco perate with each other in -the iinal assembly. I j s In accordance with the general features of this invention; there is provided awheel construction including a wheel having the usualtire, rim; and

body parts and "apluralityof nested and-interengaged ornamental members embodying :the"

present" invention a d formed for disposition an outerside. of the wheel,.'thesemembers c'o prising a dished central cap member having a radially outwardly turned edge and an" outer ring-likecover member havingia radially inwar'd- 5 1y turneded e of such diameter-astomest inside of the 'capmembei' whereby the outer-portion of the cap membermay be pressed' into resilie'nt'f retaining cooperation with the'r'adially inwardly turnededge of the ring memben;

Another feature; ofthe invention =relates to the provision in one of the two ornamental members going to make up my novelcover assembly-with retaining means for gripping a part of the wheel and which means by reason of the interconnec-'- tion of the two cover members serves to eciire both cover members to the wheel.

In accordance with otherfeatures ofimy in vention, there is provided a novelmethod of making multiple nested members whichcomprise's blanking a dished shell-from aflat sheetgan'd which shell includes a central crownedportion and an outer marginal portion, severing thepor directions to form turned edges of such diameter Figure 1 is a front view of a wheel structure wherein a-portion of the cover assembly is broken away to show the openingsin the body of the wheel; e r r Figure '2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line IIII of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;

its'pro'cess of manufacture andshowing the initial step in the blanking of the two cover members'th'at go to make uptheassembly;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to Figure 3 and showing the manner in which the members are severed at their junction with 'each other, as well asshowing the manner in'whi'ch the severed edges are initially slightly turned during the cutting or severing operation; and I Figure '5 is an'enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view through a portion of the wheel structure'cor'responding to a central part of the structure illustrated in Figure 2 and showing the mannerin which the turned edges on the two cover members are rolledinto oppositely facing one part of a wheel, andwhich is wellknown in the present automobile industry. Secured in anyisui-table manner to this tire rim part is a central'body part! I, which is sometimes referred to asa spider part ora spoke simulating part. Both the parts l0 and H are made of metal, as is we1lknown,'and may be fabricated on any suitablemachin'ery. tions at their junction from each other, andtturning the severed edges of said portions inopposite that one can telescope the other to establish an interfitted engagement of said portions, A further feature of my novel method or process relates to the utilization of the step of sever- The bodypart II has its outer peripheral portion provided with a plurality of transversely extending openings I2 defined on one side by the base flange of the tire rim .part and on the other side by an inwardly turned portion l3 formed s integral with the body part. These openings, as 7 1s well known, may serve as ventilation openings ing the portions as a means for also starting the f r Providin for the circulation of air in and about the brake drum (not shown) which, is well known, constitutes a part of the present commercial form of automobile wheels.

The central body part I] includes a bulged nose portion H which terminates radially inwardly in an inclined generally axially extending portion l which at its inner side is connected to the usual wheel fastening flange 16 by means of which the wheel is attached by bolts or cap screws to a member on the axle of the wheel or other suitable support. a

As stated before, the object of my invention is to provide a simplified cover assembly for concealing and ornamenting the outer side face of the wheel. In accordance with the-reatures of this invention, there is providedqtwo cover parts or members which go'to make up. this assembly, namely, ,a central cap member I1 and an outer ring member orannulus 'lil. Both of these members are preferably made 29' from sheet material, such, for example, as me-' tallic sheet, and are of;a convex-concave cross sectional shape. Reference to Figure 2 shows that these members are generally bulged or o a ion with the or etthe two edge!!! ll eethe hen-i in to ha e to the wheel bolts-marina nam to wh e cen ral er thu amount of In mes 3 and .4, I have l ustrated of the steps in of members a sheet ormetel t curved outwardly so as to provide "the wheel .35

with a continuous curved outer appearance.

The cap member 11 is centrally bulged but has its outer peripheral margin extending generally axially and formed into a rolled edge which faces radially outwardly.

The ring member ll has its inner peripheral portion formed into an axially outwardly extending rolled edge which is disposed on the interior of the cap member I] and telescopes the rolled edge portion 19 of the cap member 11. i

The coactipn of these two rolled edges l8 and 20 is such that the cap member I! maybe snapped into resilient retained cooperation with the edge 20. This is accomplished by making the turned edge IQ of ,a diameter on its innermost side slightly less than the outermost diameter of the rolled edge 20, so that the edge i9 must be resiliently wedged or forced over the edge 20. When thus assembled, the edges l8 and 20 are so interfitted or interlocked that the cap I! is detachably secured ,to the ring member l8.

In order to secure this assembly of the two -members to the wheel, the member 18 is provided at its outer peripheral portion with a plurality of underturned retaining fingers ll, one of which is shown in Figure 2. These fingers 2| correspond in number to the number, of openings I! about the peripheral portion of the wheel body member H. It will also be noted from Figure 2 that each of the fingers 2| is not only turned back under the ring member l8 proper but in addition thereto is inclined radially inward and axially outward so .as' to have a gripping engagement with theouter surface of the portion is of the body member disposed on the bottom side of the opening IL.

By reason of this angular relation of the finger 2| to the portion l3 it follows thatany tendency to dislodge the member l8 from the wheel only results in an enhancement of thegripping engagement of the finger with the flange portion l3. In other words, any tendency to accidentally dislodge the member l8 from the wheel only results in an enhancement of the gripping engagement.

In practice, the member l8 may be first applied to the wheel and the cap I] may thereafter be pressed axially into telescoping coblanked into sh i which ncludes .a baked o crowned p rtion i and a marsin p rtion 0'.

p r ions heveleubstaatielly the sameshap that they ultim ly :in the finished D 1 1 a d H, w th exc ption of e o ed e s s and theretaining'flngers on' the part II.

Thereafter, as inflgure l, thetwo portions H and ill are severed "from each other at :5 by e suitable cut l a operation. In the act of cutting the lgl' fand =ll;so as to so separate them, .I ontemporaneously cause the severed edge ll" onathe portion 41' to be turned slightly outwardly and the severed edge 2. on the portion It to beturned slightly inwardly.

Subsequent :to 'this severing operation, the

slightly turnededges It and ll maybe curled by suitable equipment, ei her by a press operation or by a spinning operation, into the rolled oppositely facing edges I}, and {II shown in Figure-5.

In addition thereto, it also necessary thereafter to form the outer Tmarginalportion of the ring portion ll" with a plurality o! fingers such as the tlngers 2 I. This .accompli shed by suitable press equipment which slots themarginal portion at 26. and thereafter turns the ensuing fingers 25 back upon the main body of the portion [8' at the ,desiredangle relative thereto.

Ihave, by dotted lines ,in Figure 4, illustrated at '21 one of the misfits as being formed and pressed rearwardly-at thedesired'angle. The portions of the metal ,betweenthe fingersmust, of course, be removed so as to provide the structure with the ultimate shape shown in Figure 2.

It will, of cours be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose tolimit he patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims,

'I claim as any invention:

1. tin .a' wheel construction. a wheel including time rim and "body pa ts and. a plur o n ste and-interengaged ornamental cover members =fo r disposition on an outer side of the wheel and .OV8I" S 8 i d wheel body part, said members comprising" a dished central .capmembet having ,a circular bead extending radially outwardly from the dished body of the cap member and an outer tire rim and body arts and a plurality of nested and interengaged ornamental cover members for disposition on an outer side of the wheel and over said wheel body part, said members comprising a dished central cap member having a circular bead extending radially outwardly from the dished body of the cap member and an outer ring-like cover member having an inner turned edge of such diameter as to nest inside of said cap member, said bead of said cap member being pressed into a resilient retaining cooperation with said inner turned edge of the ring member, one of said members being provided with wheel engaging and retaining means so as to grip one of said wheel parts and thus retain said one member, as well as the other member interfitted therewith, on said wheel.

3. In a wheel construction, a wheel including tire rim and body parts and a plurality of nested disposition en an outer side of the Wheel and over said wheel body part, said members comprising a dished central cap member having a circular bead extending radially outwardly from the dished body of the cap member and. an outer ring-like cover member having an inner turned edge of such diameter as to nest inside of said cap member, said bead of said cap member being pressed into a resilient retaining cooperation with said inner turned edge of the ring member, one of said members being provided with wheel engaging and retaining means so as to grip one of said wheel parts and thus retain said one member, as well as the other member interfitted and interengaged ornamental cover members for 20 GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

